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St. Vrain Valley School District deals with roads, supplies before opening schools

Lyons students will attend Main Street School in Longmont

By Victoria A.F. CamronLongmont Times-Call

Posted:
09/15/2013 12:01:10 PM MDT

Updated:
09/15/2013 09:56:47 PM MDT

LONGMONT -- Most schools in the St. Vrain Valley School District are expected to be ready to open on Thursday, but Lyons students will have to wait until Sept. 23 to be moved to the Main Street School in Longmont.

The logistics of transporting students and supplying schools were the focus of a special meeting Sunday among Superintendent Don Haddad and other administrators and the Board of Education.

Although school buildings received little damage -- mostly water leaks -- during the recent flood, district officials have an immense amount of work to do before schools open Thursday. Road closures and damages, as well as power outages, are affecting everything from transportation to school lunches.

"We have to make sure the power grids are all up and running. ... We have to make sure the water supplies are safe," Haddad said.

Because of power failures, most of the food at many schools has spoiled. At the same time -- because roads have been closed -- the district's warehouse hasn't received deliveries of food, chief operations officer Rick Ring said.

Lyons schools information

Parent meetings

What: Parent information meetings regarding the relocation of Lyons students to Main Street School in Longmont. Parents who cannot attend the meeting are encouraged to contact their school's principal.

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When: 5 p.m. for preschool and elementary school parents; 6:30 p.m. for middle and high school parents, on Wednesday, Sept. 18

"Our infrastructure's been impacted by their infrastructure. We don't have all the things it takes to support the school district," Ring said.

District staff have started looking at bus routes and road damages, as well. At least 86 bus routes will have to change, Ring said. When the storms calm down and decisions are made, staff will be letting parents and students know how routes and times are changing, he said.

Haddad repeatedly pointed out that student safety is more important than starting classes again.

"We have to make sure roadways are safe," Haddad said.

Nearly 1,600 students in the Boulder County area of the school district were displaced by the flooding, Ring said. The same information is not yet available from Weld County, according to district planner Scott Toillion.

At this point, it's not clear where all the displaced students will end up, even if their neighborhood schools re-open this week.

"People are going to live in different places," school board president John Creighton said.

Of course, some district staff members have also been displaced; Haddad said administrators have not been able to reach some of them.

"We're hoping they're all safe," Haddad said.

Because the town of Lyons has been devastated by the flooding of the St. Vrain River, district officials are moving those students to the Main Street School at 820 Main St. in Longmont, beginning the week of Sept. 23.

Officials are planning to start each level of student on a different day that week.

Early this week, officials hope to obtain supplies from the schools in Lyons. At the end of the week, teachers will meet and start preparing their new classrooms.

Meetings for parents of Lyons students are scheduled on Wednesday at Longmont High School.

All school board members were present at Sunday's meeting except Rod Schmidt, who is on vacation and participated via telephone.

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